Desmond “Etika” Amofah, a popular YouTube personality would have turned 30 today.
The gamer who created Nintendo-centric videos was found dead on June 25th. The NYPD had been searching for Amofah after he went missing.
He had posted a video discussing suicidal thoughts to social media the week before.
Amofah had struggled publicly with mental health. However, his last online behavior concerned his fans and the YouTube community. Amofah uploaded pornography to his channel in October 2018, violating YouTube’s guidelines.
He commented that it was “time to die” once his channel was deactivated.
Then in April 2019, Amofah live-streamed a standoff with New York police. He was prompted by several erratic tweets, included a picture posing with a gun.
New York police at the time said that Amofah was “threatening suicide in the apartment” and had a history of mental health issues. He was later taken to a Brooklyn hospital.
In May, Amofah assaulted a police officer and was admitted to a local hospital, according to fellow streamer and ex-girlfriend Alice Pika.
Amofah’s body was pulled from the East River on June 24. The Office of Chief Medical Examiner determined that the cause of Amofah’s death was drowning, and the manner was suicide.
Etika’s death has made many aware of the mental health challenges that affect many. He has been celebrated today by trending on Twitter by his fans who still mourn him.
